Biblical Homemaking

foods I now love that I used to hate + goals and menus {june 18, 2013}

2013-06-18T08:54:00.002-05:00

Happy Tuesday! :) I intended to post this yesterday, but hey, we worked out in the yard instead! :) We are getting closer to my crazy nesting goal of having the entire yard redone! {it already looks so much better than this!!}

I was also very happy with the progress we made on the to-do list from last week:

pinterest source

~~plan Ava's first party~~ : it's going to be a rainbow princess party! {I'm pinning lots of pics here}
make a loose summer schedule {download a copy here}
~~list two more items on Craigslist:~~ listed and sold them!
figure out house payoff schedule/timeline
wash baby clothes we have, figure out additional clothes we will need to buy for his first few months
work on planting grass in the corner
make wall decor for baby room
write a love note to my husband
write a love/encouraging note to my oldest
take the kids swimming and to the library
reschedule midwife appointment
arrange Father's day plans/gifts :D
buy summer homeschool books for each child
~~make lots of dinners at home {I was super busy last week, and we ate out a lot!~~
teach pump Saturday

here's the baby list progress I made:

~~make quilt/bedding~~
~~make 1 wall decor piece for over the bed~~
~~paint crib and dresser~~ {still working on this, but mostly done}
~~wash baby clothes~~
~~buy diapers, wipes, and nursing supplies~~
~~wash car seat + bouncer covers~~
hang curtains
~~order or find a pack n' play travel lite on Craigslist~~ {decided not to get this after all- will use old playpen we already have instead of buying unless we find a good deal}

and here's the new goal list for this week:

hang curtains in the baby's room
start cleaning out the attic
make grocery list for Ava's party
wash kid sheets and blankets
list/sell 2 things on craigslist
buy home birth supplies we need
organize + purge kid toys upstairs
sub extra BODYPUMP class {+ burn off extra cake and Mexican food...LOL}
change phone plan
organize husband's dresser/clothes
add light fixture to bathroom {not me, LOL}
put girls' bed together {not me again}
take the kids swimming and to the library

Here are this week's menu plans- it's summer, so I'm shamelessly repeating most of last week. I've decided my goal this summer is to make as many paper plate /one dish/microwave meals as possibly I can. :)

dinners:

dinner with friends
ground turkey tacos {I have pre-cooked meat in the freezer ready for the microwave}
crockpot turkey spaghetti + bread
seasoned grilled chicken, pineapples + rice
griddle turkey sun dried tomato quesadillas + corn
beans and rice {crockpot + rice cooker}
brown rice +/- lean beef {me}
zucchini pasta with homemade marinara {I hope I can find good zucchini at the store now!}

lunches:

english muffin toaster oven pizzas

sandwiches

lunch out

pb + j with frozen fruit

breakfasts:

fruit

cereal {frosted mini wheats or honey nut cheerios now that it's summer! :D}

bagels for the kids {I stocked up at the discount bakery a couple of weeks ago}

Have you tried any good summer {no-oven required} recipes lately?

I would love it if you'd share- we are trying not to heat up the house this summer with our electric bill getting so much higher already.

Sun-dried tomato basil lover or hater?

I used to detest basil and then sometime in my 20's I fell in love with it. My children don't really like it now either, but I have a feeling they'll come around after they grow up. Ha! :D

One food you used to hate as but now love as an adult?

tofu, mushrooms, onions, eggs, fresh green beans....and the list goes on! I can't believe how much your preferences can change over time!

change is coming, an eventful date weekend & father's day, + our summer schedule

2013-06-17T11:14:00.000-05:00

quick reminder: don't forget to enter the Crunchy Mamas giveaway through tonight!! :D

I realized last week that we only have a few more weeks as a family of 6. Isn't that weird to think about? For 4 years, this is what we've known- having 2 boys and 2 girls, and at this point we've not changed a diaper in 1.5 years, or carried a carseat around in over 3 years.

Change is coming. :D It will be a wonderful one, but I'm kind of trying to live in this moment, and enjoy having mostly big kids while it's easier to get around. :)

On Friday, we went to the library, the pool to swim for a while, then stopped in for free ice creams with our coupons:

Our gym also had a date night this weekend, and they were thrilled to go play while we went on a date. Win, win. :)

I was feeling like Italian food- or more precisely, Italian Chocolate Cake with toffee and ice cream. This is #2 of my favorite desserts from a restaurant! :) {here's #1}

We walked the mall for a very short while. Honestly, it was fun, but I was ready to head out very quickly, which Rob was probably thankful for! hahaha. Shopping and/or walking long distances in high heels is not my thing right now, but I did find something cool for the baby's room I can't wait to show you. ;)

Then we headed over to a local store that has free live music on Fridays- and it was like God planned for us to go there, because these people were playing our very favorite kind of music:

We only caught the end, but it was long enough to listen to three of the most beautiful songs I've heard live. Somewhere Over the Rainbow was one of them, and it made for the most perfect date. Ahhh. :)

But really, it could have been the most perfect date because I got to go with this guy:

Over and over, I realize how blessed I have been to be given such a loving, kind, honest, hard-working man to be my husband and the father of my children. I've never met a single man who loves his wife and family more than he does. I'm so, so very thankful for him. :)

So yesterday was Father's Day, of course, and we had plans to chill out after church and lunch. Instead, we came home to a terrible {read: gross} house emergency which he dealt with for hours until dinnertime.

I was so in awe of him. He's such a MAN, you know what I mean? He faces a challenge head on, when I would faint and give up at just the sight of it. I love him. And I seriously have no idea what I would do without him. :) So after that, we took him out to the best Mexican food place in town- Chuy's:

It was a much better ending to the weekend than the afternoon... ;)

And today is our first day working our new summer routine:

download a copy here

So far I like it even though it's slowing me down quite a bit. The kids seem really happy to have an order of events, and to start in on their new school work. It's day one, so I'm going to enjoy that while it lasts. ;) {okay, never mind. That lasted less time than it took me to write this post...}

I'm thankful for summer so far- it's been a challenge to be at home all day with the kids and no school work/schedule, but I've also been able to get lots done before the baby comes. :) I'll update you with that list and our menus for the week later on today! :)

How was your weekend/ Father's Day?

What's your favorite kind of music to listen to live?

I love orchestrated music the most, probably, then rock style. :)

Or your favorite way to motivate kids to finish their work/chores in the summer?

giveaway: Crunchy Mamas organic skin care product package {ends June 17}

2013-06-14T10:07:00.004-05:00

disclosure: this is a sponsored giveaway and review for Crunchy Mamas- all opinions are mine! :D

If you follow over in FB land, I posted on the {bh} page last weekend how excited I was to receive this little package of organic skin care goodies from the Crunchy Mamas themselves- two sister mamas, Katie and Ashley, who wanted to make organic, chemical free products you could put on your babies without worrying about it.

And even a week later, I'm still excited about them! :) We've tried/smelled/rubbed them all on, and I've been very impressed!

I love their mission Ashley shared on their blog about why they make their products:

"Katie and I began this quest several years ago. After becoming fed up with commercial products and their misleading labels, we began making our own toiletries and such. Countless hours have been poured into researching the best oils for various products. We felt we had a right to know exactly what was being put onto our precious babies, and you deserve that same right. That is why we include EVERY ingredient on our labels."

You know that wholesome, deep herbal smell you smell when you walk into a health store that makes you breathe in really deeply and relax all of the sudden? I have no idea which herb that is? {clueless} but that's what these products remind me of- they all smell so good, and you suddenly feel relaxed when you rub them on. That sounds crazy, I know, but I need more of that in my life! :)

Here's what Ashley and Katie sent me to try out:

Their natural grapefruit hand sanitizer, their scab stick, two beeswax lip balms, a menth head stick {natural vapor rub}, along with their bug off and about to pop balms:

They all have their organic ingredients listed right on the package- and their main ingredients are unrefined coconut oil and beeswax. I rubbed the about to pop balm all over my belly as soon as I got the package open- it's not greasy, it smells awesome and it doesn't freak me out to rub it all over my belly like petroleum does for some reason.

Now I'm not a super-natural girl when it comes to body products {confession: I like sunless tanners, Bath and Body works and non-organic makeup}, but for some reason I refuse to put any lotion on or near my belly because they all seem so chemically laced. {and I still put lotion on the rest of my body. I know, I'm weird! ha!} I wasn't worried at all to rub their products all over everywhere though, and the about to pop balm felt so good on my stretching belly.

My husband used the scab stick on a knee injury already, and I use the hand sanitizer ALL the time now- it smells awesome- I like to spray it on before we eat and the smell of citrus on my hands is SO much better than the normal hospital smell.

The lip balms are super thick and smooth too, and glide on without clumping. Their lime lip balm makes me crave lime- it's the real lime smell- not that fake icky lime smell that you normally find in lip products.

I tried the Bug Off, and I didn't have as much luck with it as the other products- I liked the citronella and the lack of DEET, but we have major mosquitos at our house and they love this pregnant girl with a passion, so it only worked for about 20 minutes before it absorbed and I became a mosquito buffet again {seriously, I can't even walk from the car to the house without being bitten normally}. We don't have other bug problems like flies and chiggers so I can't say if it would work for those. I would recommend it for light use, or for use on the babies you don't want to spray with bug spray. {fyi: here's a testimony from someone who used it and had great success though. I might live too far south!}

I really was impressed with all of their products- the smell and feel of all of them especially! I am actually afraid I'm a little hooked on all of them! :) I can't believe they can make such good products homemade!

They have offered some deals for you guys too- they're giving away a package of these four products to one lucky winner!

And they're offering a special discount to {bh} readers through July 14. Use the one-time discount code BIBLICAL when you check out to save an extra 15% off your order!

To enter the giveaway, hop over to their shop and look around, then come back and leave a comment telling me the product you'd want to try most- preferably one I didn't mention already! :D {or the one you find most intriguing- they came up with the best names!}

You can also check out their facebook page to get to know these two sweet mamas even better, get more discount codes and find out about other giveaways!

The giveaway ends on Monday night, June 17, 2013 at 11:59 p.m. CST.

thrifty outfit: $10 Walmart dress + thrifted Banana Republic {+33 week pics}

2013-06-13T23:40:00.002-05:00

Remember the $9.97 coral Walmart dress from Tuesday? Here's how it looked on with my $4 Banana Republic thrifted sandals:

I wouldn't necessarily call it the best maternity dress with the elastic hitting mid-waist, but I really, really liked it anyway! It's super soft, has adjustable straps, doesn't go too low in the chest, and hits the knee so I don't have to wear something under it!

I was very impressed, and the hubs loved it too. He said I looked cute! :D

I'll take "cute" these days- especially when I don't feel super cute with this growing 33-week belly all out there... :)

Hey, I will say the belly makes for an excellent armrest while I'm thinking/speaking though... hahaha! :) This baby armrest/bowl holder/toothpaste catcher just keeps getting bigger and bigger! :) {a good thing, for sure!}

I was at a shower for our sweet friends here last weekend- and I had the chance to get to know a new friend, Carol, who writes children's books! We had so much fun chatting about writing and blogs we both read! :D

And oh my goodness, the shower was so gorgeous! It was an adoption shower for our pastor and his beautiful wife who are adopting a sweet preteen girl from Ethiopia this summer. I'm so excited for them! :) If you think of them, will you pray for them and the big transition that they will be going through this year?

{many thanks to my friend Danielle B. for taking all of the pics!! she did such a great job! :D}

So I have a question for you- have you adopted before? Do you have any advice for friends of adopting parents of an older child? How can we help them best? I'd so love to know your thoughts!

What's your favorite flower?

Hydrangeas are mine- indoors and out. Aren't those purple ones gorgeous? ahhhh....

Any tricks for getting babies to move out of your ribcage?

This one is either really, really high or really low, all the time! :)

p.s. stay tuned for a big giveaway later on today {Lord-willing!}! :D

homemaking hack #7: how to measure portions easily

2013-06-12T23:03:00.001-05:00

I may say this every time I post a homemaking hack, but I can't believe it took me so long to think of these two! :) I use these two tricks every day now and they both work for me and save me time and lots of calories in the kitchen! :)

These hacks have changed the way I see and estimate portion sizes, especially when it comes to things I love to eat {and overeat!} in bowls like soup, beans, watermelon, yogurt, oatmeal, and cereal.

Here are two easy ways to keep an eye on your portion sizes:

1. Use thin metal measuring cups to cut and scoop out your foods.

Of course using measuring cups always makes sense for portioning out foods, but I never considered using them as a scooping and measuring tool for my favorite melon fruits at the same time! :)

I don't weigh or specifically measure my food portions out normally, but one day I was trying to get an idea of how much watermelon I was actually eating {it felt like several servings at one time!}, so I decided to use my metal cup to cut and scoop out my watermelon. I was shocked it was so easy to cut with a measuring cup!

And even better than that shocking discovery {ha}, for the first time in history, I actually overestimated how much I was eating- the calories in my average bowl full of watermelon were far less than I thought! {Does that EVER happen? not to me! yay!}

So these days, when I don't use my metal cup scooping method for watermelon and everything else I want to portion out- I use option two- which is:

2. Pre-measure the capacity of your favorite bowls for easy portion estimation {and use the same bowl for everything!}.

My anthro bowl is 2 cups exactly from what I can tell- so I know if it's 1/2 full of dry cereal, I am eating more than 1.33 servings of my favorite Honey Bunches of Oats. {and who could ever just eat 3/4 of a cup for one serving?? That makes me sad.}

Or if I am eating a bowl of oatmeal or greek yogurt in the anthro bowl, I know if I fill it up, that's 2 or more servings I'm eating at one time! {that's why I stick to my 1/2 cup bowls for ice cream and sweets- if I put them in a 2 cup bowl my brain feels deprived- but a packed 1/2 cup? I have to use a baby spoon then, and it's like eating gelato at the mall- special and filling! :D It's all in the mind!}

So the moral of option 2 is this: if you're trying to get an idea of how much you're eating- keep an eye on your dish size at home! It works for me! :D

What are your favorite tricks for measuring food portions? Please share!

Do you stick to portion sizes? Or is eating more of a "how hungry am I right now?" thing for you?

I'm an option 2 girl by nature- especially when it comes to sweets! I still eat as much as I want when it comes to natural fruits and veggies, but I cut back majorly on ice cream, yogurt, and dessert portions a few years ago, around 25 or so. The older I get, the more processed things seem to affect me negatively! :D Back when I was a teenager I could eat 1/2 of a huge bag of M&M's and Taco Bell and not feel a thing! :) Ah, the days!!

Do you pre-cut your watermelon or keep it in the rind?

I find it tastes so much better straight from the source! I keep the whole melon in the fridge to scoop out servings as needed! :)

8 cute + thrifty walmart finds i love this week {summer 2013}

2013-06-11T13:10:00.000-05:00

I mentioned yesterday one of my goals this week was to make a plan to pay off our house.... I'm super excited about the idea, but it wasn't all that long ago that we were on the Dave Ramsey plan to pay off all of our consumer debts and student loans.

I remember the gazelle intensity like it was yesterday, along with all the time and effort it took to save money to snowball on our debts. It was intense! I'm trying to mentally prepare to do it again- which means I'll be avoiding Target and the mall like the plague for a while. :)

When it comes to clothes and decorating, I'm a Goodwill girl mostly, and I love Target to pieces now that we have a 5% off debit card there, but sometimes even GW can't beat Walmart prices! :D I know I was shocked to find some cute stuff there this spring in round 1! :D

I couldn't wait to share the new finds I spotted at Wally World this week. {don't worry, I didn't buy them all! I just thought I would pass along the deals in case you needed to save some dough too!}

And I'm not sponsored by Walmart in any way, but I do spend a good percentage of my money at their store...hahah!

1. Coral summer knit dress for $9.97.

I picked this one up without trying it on yesterday, but I will let you how it goes. It's super cute in person! :D It comes in all kinds of colors too!

I loved it because it reminds me of this Ann Taylor Loft $40 sale version, {except the Walmart version is longer, yay!} what do you think? :D

2. Color block Maxi, $15.44.

It's too hot for maxi anything when you're 8 months preggo in the Texas summer heat, but if you live somewhere a bit cooler and/or aren't preggo, you might like this maxi! :D

And it comes in this cute color combo too! I really LOVE this one!

Here's a similar Gap version for $69.95 {wow}:

3. Adorable pouf ottomans, $29.97.

While our Dave Ramsey house payoff plan probably won't include buying any poufs anytime soon, I thought these were incredibly cute and a good size for the price!

I didn't see this ikat one in the store, but I found it online- isn't it colorful? It's my favorite, I think. :D

4. Starter men's dri-wear workout shirts, $8.47.

My husband loves to wear shirts like this to lift weights in! We normally buy the Nike version for $20-$25, but these are almost exactly the same. {shhh... don't tell- Rob's getting this for Father's Day!}

5. Colorful ties for $10. {in-store only}

We know from experience that it's so hard to find bright colored ties for a reasonable price! I LOVE these! {I was so tempted to buy one for Father's Day, but he doesn't use them often!}

6. Industrial-style TV console, $179.96.

While this isn't necessarily a "cheap" find, it's far less expensive than the World Market version. The only downside is that it's not real wood. But I couldn't resist snapping a pic. I really thought it was cute, even with the laminate wood, and it gets decent reviews!

7. Multi-colored floral plates {in-store}.

I've seen plates almost identical to these at Dillard's for way, way more! :) These are bright and fun, and go with a range of colors you might have in your kitchen. $5 isn't too bad for one of these to hang on the wall! :D

And I loved their melamine plates {maybe even more} for $2.38. Aren't they adorable?

8. Drawstring dri-wear exercise tops for women, $5.96.

You already know I'm a big fan of Walmart's workout shorts, but I fell in love with these yesterday too:

I got this burgundy/purple version since it's a BODYCOMBAT color, and is long enough to hide my belly for the next few months. Even better, these tops are like 1/10th of the price of Lululemon! Unreal! :D

So those are definitely my favorite wally world finds right now! :D I am always surprised at the cute stuff they have if you dig around! :D

What are your favorite finds there recently? Any luck with cute stuff in round 1? :D

Are you on a Dave Ramsey/Walmart/beans and rice plan too? hehee

monday goals and menu plans {yard progress pics + nesting to-do lists}

2013-06-10T10:37:00.000-05:00

It's a much different Monday than I'm used to here! :D

Instead of my usual living room, this is my view:

The kids are at VBS this morning, and my amazing husband is watching the youngest so that I can get some Starbucks time. :) {thank you, honey!!}

VBS means this week is going to be a little different than our normal summer week, but I really wanted to use the extra time I have to plan out a summer schedule for the kids. The first couple of days out of school they had no idea what to do, but last week they finally caught a little groove of play, eat, and swim. :) I wanted to let them go free for a couple of weeks before we did anything too structured each day.

This weekend was productive- we had the chance to get some work done on the "redo entire yard" part of my list! :D When we bought our foreclosure a few years ago, we knew the big yard needed lots of work. It's been decently kept, but it really needed some tlc after all the years of being rented/let go.

Here's what this deep forest-like corner looked like when we started {or maybe worse, since this was a few weeks back!}:

And after many hours of hard manual labor {on the part of my husband and boys- I was the water bearer!}, here's the progress we made, which is exciting!

They spent hours and hours digging up trees and even had to use the truck to pull out some of them- the overgrowth was so dense! I am so amazed at how much they did! Next up, we are raking and pulling out the borders to plant grass and put in a new fence.

So the pre-baby to-do list is getting shorter. :) I'm excited about our progress- even though the baby won't care one bit what's done when he comes, I feel like it all has to be done before he gets here in 6-8 weeks! {It's insane and unreasonable, I know, but somehow it feels so necessary! Did I ever tell you I have a REALLY patient husband? He's such a good sport to deal with his nesting wife. :D}

here's the baby list progress:

~~make quilt/bedding~~
make 1 wall decor piece for over the bed
~~paint crib and dresser~~ {still working on this, but mostly done}
wash baby clothes
~~buy diapers, wipes, and nursing supplies~~ {bought a package of newborn diapers/wipes two weeks ago!
~~wash car seat + bouncer covers~~
hang curtains
order or find a pack n' play travel lite on Craigslist

and more we have to do:

redo entire yard {many hours spent here already!}
build a new fence
~~mulch and plant flower beds~~
host birthday party for Avalie {planning is this week!}
finish painting house
redo/finish girls room -needs 2nd coat of paint, and a bed makeover is waiting to happen in the attic
redo boys room- paint/reorganize
~~finish the stairs~~
add light fixture to bathroom
~~find a new-to-us washing machine to replace our 10 year-old one~~

So here's my to-do list for this week:

plan Ava's first party
make a loose summer schedule
list two more items on Craigslist
figure out house payoff schedule/timeline
wash baby clothes we have, figure out additional clothes we will need to buy for his first few months
work on planting grass in the corner
make wall decor for baby room
write a love note to my husband
write a love/encouraging note to my oldest
take the kids swimming and to the library
go to midwife appointment {every 2 weeks now- which means we are getting so close!}
arrange Father's day plans/gifts :D
buy summer homeschool books for each child
make lots of dinners at home {I was super busy last week, and we ate out a lot!}

And here's our meal plan for this week:

{keeping it SO light and easy- I don't want to do much cleaning...or cooking...hahaha!}:

east texas caviar {above} + rice

ground turkey tacos

turkey spaghetti + salad

sandwiches + chips

quesadillas + black beans

beans and rice

brown rice +/- lean beef {me}

zucchini pasta with homemade marinara {I hope I can find good zucchini at the store now!}

Summer is so different! :D I'm excited to try to attempt to hit all those goals this week!

What are your goals for the week? {if you say none, I don't blame you one bit! :D enjoy your summer days!}

Do you like zucchini pasta?
I had never tried it until last year- and I fell in love, hard!

Do you do any schoolwork/bookwork in the summer?
We've never done any before, but I think the kids will be bored shortly. :) They've been told they would do some new school work in their upcoming grade, and they were actually excited. We'll see if that sticks when the work is here! :)

homeschooling + parenting: Q&A {balancing kids, what we do, giving special treats}

2013-06-06T10:10:00.000-05:00

Today I wanted to answer a few of the questions you guys asked me a couple of weeks ago! I tried to group them into a few categories- lots of your questions were related to parenting/homeschooling, which I'm covering some of today. I am definitely no homeschooling or parenting expert by any means, so these answers are just what work for us now or solutions that have worked for us in our few years of experience. :D

Do you still homeschool??

Yes, two days per week. :D The kids go to school the other three days a week at a small Christian school. {of course it's summer break at their school right now- in a week or two we plan to start back to some very light homeschooling again so they don't forget everything!}

We currently homeschool our children but I would love to use the wonderful resource of this Christian school also I wonder if you would mind sharing with me how it works to do both homeschooling and Christian school with your family.

We homeschool on Mondays and Fridays, and they go to their Christian school on a regular schedule Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The administration was very, very kind to work with us and allow us to do this part-time schedule. We love it, and it's a perfect mix of school and home for us right now.

The school they go to uses Abeka and ACE, and they bring home two days of schoolwork from there each Thursday to do at home. The nature of their main curriculum is very independent- ACE being the most independent, and my kindergartener using Abeka needs the most help, of course. It works well for us, and I know of a couple of schools that do it in our area and of at least one or two the DFW area. I'm not ready for them to go to school and be gone all day 5 days per week, and so far this has worked amazingly well for us. We never know what the next year will bring- so we try to take it one year at a time. :D

our full-time homeschooling boxes: we use these for keeping up with their workbooks

How do you homeschool? What is your typical homeschool day like?

Our kids get up {usually around 7:30-8 a.m.}, eat breakfast, and go straight to school work on homeschool days- usually starting before 9. I have to help the youngest one with her work, and the older ones need to read their work to me sometimes, but the curriculum is designed for independent learning. Now that both of my boys can read, they do most of their school work separated in different rooms.

The boys do three subjects, then take a break, and come back to do as much as they can before lunch. If lunch comes before they finish, they take a break and finish after lunch. Some days they get done in 2- 2.5 hours, and sometimes they have lots of math and don't want to work and it takes them until 3 or later. I have to help Isabella through all of her paperwork/lessons, so she stays right beside me or Rob and does it with us. If Rob is available and not working, he will have one of the boys or Isabella sit at his desk and helps them as needed too. Did I ever tell you he's the best? I couldn't make it without him.

Homeschool days are both harder and easier, in my opinion- easier because we don't have to go anywhere on a schedule, but harder because they take lots of attitude correction and discipline on our part too. We have to stay on them to get their work done, and to do it quietly without talking, fighting, or playing with each other. We may be coming up with a different seating arrangement than our current dining table for next year.

I was wondering if you do anything special as a family to honor your kids moving up a grade. We homeschool and my 6-year-old just finished grade K. I keep seeing pictures of all the public school kids his age in a cap and gown at a big ceremony with a diploma. My son has worked super hard this year and has memorized lots of scripture. Do you have anything special you do in your family to celebrate your kids successes?

We don't really have anything special like that for when we homeschool exclusively. {We do celebrate the last day of summer though! hahah!} We do trips to the zoo and special things as rewards and for birthdays, and now that the kids are in school part-time, they still participate in the big graduation ceremony at the end of the year, and get little awards at their school. If you're in a co-op or homeschool association {we never did}, they might have activities like that too. Homeschool moms- do they have this?

our family at this year's graduation! :D

How do you teach more than one kid, and how to you keep the others distracted if/when you have to work one on one with another child? I have a 5 year old daughter that I am homeschooling, and I also have a 2 yo boy. It is so hard for me to teach her while he is distracting both of us! Before we would do school while he napped but her recently gave his nap up! (AHH!!!) Distracting him with crayons and playdough doesn't last long! LOL

Haha, one more question popped in my head. I have 3 boys ages 6, 3, and 7 months. How do you teach different subjects to each of them at the same time? Are you bouncing from one child to the next teaching or do you have some kind of structure to how you teach the them when they're learning at different levels?

If one of the older kids needs help while I'm with another one, I make them wait and work on the next thing {something they can do} until I can talk to them. And it does feel like I'm bouncing from one to the next- mostly to help them with little stuff and then they go back to their work. I only have one that doesn't do school right now {3.5 years old}, and she plays by herself with toys or sits at the table and colors while the kids work. When I had just two to homeschool, the girls both sat at the table or played together in another room, and I held the youngest one in my lap for a good while.

I know girls are much different than boys- and since my boys started "school" together, I only had girls to contend with as the younger siblings. They were much easier to distract at the table than my boys would have been I think. :)

From what I've read from moms of many, getting the little ones in a routine they expect while you do school is very important, and training them to be able to sit on a blanket or in a small area with toys for a certain length of time in one place is a great way to keep them out of everything while you are busy. I haven't done the blanket training yet, but it sounds good! :D

After a while, at our house I just came to accept the fact that there would be a certain amount of chaos with toddlers, and let them eat snacks in the high chair, and play and make a mess where they were as we worked. But we also kept early schooling time very short when they were young- 2-2.5 hours per day max, and that helped me to stay more sane. :D

we find the iPad is great for the keeping the child who finishes early busy :D

My 6-year-old keeps having special things happen. Lost his first tooth, birthday, graduating Kindergarten. All right after the other. My 3-year-old is starting to feel jealous. We got him a small gift the other day just to make his day brighter. Do you ever deal with that and if so how do you honor one child without making the younger ones who don't understand feel bad?

Aww, you sound like a very caring mama! A lot of times we do special things for all the kids together for celebrations- parties, special ice cream treats, rewards for chores, zoo for the birthdays, etc. Many times though, just one child gets birthday presents or a reward, and the younger ones want presents or a party too. We usually just tell them that it's not their turn, and when they do that special thing, they will get that special reward too. :)

I wouldn't feel bad when you tell even the littlest ones "no"... in our short {almost 10 years} parenting experience, it seems that not getting what they want as a small one helps them deal with not getting or expecting everything when they get to be 5 and 10. So it's not necessarily a bad thing for them to have to go through that, I think. Even at a young age when they are that small, situations like that can be a time of great formative attitude training for being a teenager and grown-up, and I think it will make your parenting job easier later on too. :D

what can your God not do? {when you feel afraid or alone}

2013-06-04T11:11:00.000-05:00

There's nothing like riding miles above the clouds to make you realize just how small and insignificant you really are.

Before you even leave the city you're flying out from, the cars on the road start to look like the tiniest, slowest little ants, and by the time you're at full flying altitude, landmarks become imperceptible- you start to see just the colors and patterns of the land that is underneath you.

Looking out on what the Lord has created like that just feels so incredibly humbling. Something about having your feet on the ground back at home gives you a false sense of security- like you are the big one, and in control of your circumstances, but being up high in the heavens makes you realize you are actually closer to the size of a tiny microbe.

It reminds me of what David wrote in Psalm 8- I couldn't get these verses out of my head as we flew:

1O LORD, our Lord,
  How majestic is Your name in all the earth,
  Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens!
2From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength
  Because of Your adversaries,
  To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.

3When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
  The moon and the stars, which You have ordained;
4What is man that You take thought of him,
  And the son of man that You care for him?
5Yet You have made him a little lower than God,
  And You crown him with glory and majesty!
6You make him to rule over the works of Your hands;
  You have put all things under his feet,
7All sheep and oxen,
  And also the beasts of the field,
8The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea,
  Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
9O LORD, our Lord,
  How majestic is Your name in all the earth!

He made all of the earth and the sky... the oceans, the moon, the stars... what can our God not do??

And this is even more incredible to me- as we were flying, here's what I read in Psalm 103:

Oh how amazing it is- our Lord is compassionate and gracious- slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness.

But do you see it??

Oh my goodness- as high as the HEAVENS are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him!!!

Do you know that's how deeply He loves? Did you realize that's how much our Father loves you TODAY?

You are His beloved- His child, and nothing can separate you from that love!

And get this- as far as the east is from the west - that's how far He removed our transgressions from us!!

Oh, the depths of His mercy- we cannot even fathom the mercy He has bestowed upon us- the microbes that will vanish in mere decades- He has given His Son for us, so that He could show us His great love and forgiveness. Who are WE to deserve that?

What an incredible, awesome God we serve. He loves us so much He removed our sin far from us- He didn't deal with us according to our sins, or reward us according to our iniquity!!! We didn't get what we deserved in any way. Oh, what mercy He gives us!!!

This GOD is who we love, the ruler and master of the universe in all it's majesty. Can you do anything but respond with love and trust when you realize who your God is and what He has done for you?

Oh, friend, what can our GOD not do in your life today? I promise you can trust Him!! :)

lots of wedding pics + june plans

2013-06-03T11:44:00.000-05:00

Can you believe it's June already? May flew by, like I guessed it would. :D Being busy with vacations, graduations, and weddings probably helped a little. :) Last Friday night, Rob's little brother got married, and we were the photographers, which means I get to share a little sneak peek with you! :D

They got married here, and it was gorgeous. I can't imagine a more beautiful day for a wedding! :D

Aren't they such a cute couple??? :D It was a perfect day for a beautiful wedding!! I'm still editing them but I couldn't wait to share a few of my favorites with you! :D

After the wedding, we had a few projects we worked on this weekend. Now that summer is here, the baby countdown is on! We've been making good progress on the pre-baby to-do list.

I have a tiny bit of finishing work left to do, but this weekend I made the baby's blanket:

I try to make every little one something specifically for them, and the floral pattern is also going to be the theme of the nursery this time. Florals might be a bit girly, but I think the primary colors make it more gender neutral. :) The baby won't care either way, right?. ;)

And remember these free end tables I scored a couple of weeks ago?

Rob was my DIY hero and painted them for me this weekend! :D Here's one of the two:

I'm hoping to make a little more progress on the ginormous list today, but we'll see how it goes. We are in full summer mode at our house, so I'm anticipating less getting done with lots more of this happening:

And with all that Lego building happening, we just may have to head to Braum's for another round of these soon to refuel:

Any excuse for ice cream is a good one, I say.

Yay for summer! :) {And sleeping in!}

What are your plans for the week? Any fun June activities planned?
I'm working on the to-do list like a nesting woman. There's no stopping pregnancy hormones and a second wind! :D I'm also teaching a few extra classes this week, which will be fun!

Favorite ice cream flavor?
Chocolate frozen yogurt, and English Toffee. I couldn't pick just one.

What were your wedding colors {or what will they be someday?}
Periwinkle and silver, with lots of bright summer colors in the flowers.

Did you have an indoor or outdoor wedding? How did it go? I want to hear the details! :D
Indoor- it was a small church, and we were grateful for A/C in August!

31 weeks: baby #5 {pregnancy update}

2013-05-31T14:32:00.001-05:00

It's been a while since I did a real update on the baby, so I thought I'd do one today! This little one is growing like a weed, and painting my toenails is nearly impossible these days. :D

How far along: 31 weeks! Only single digit weeks left, baby! :D

Baby size: Around 17 inches and 3.5-4 lbs. I really believe he's pushing 4 at this point! :D

Weight gain: Still average, which I'm happy with, especially after a free-for-all vacation... LOL!

Belly button: Out... way out. {this didn't happen until baby #3 if I remember right!}

Maternity clothes: No, I still prefer bigger regular clothes- but my belly is growing more and more so a Bella band is often needed these days so I don't have to pull down my shorter shirts all the time. :)

Gender: Boy.

Movement: I felt him move for the first time at 12 weeks, and he's getting so big now my belly flops when he moves and rolls. You can really see his little body! It's crazy. It looks like I have an alien in my belly. :)

Sleep: Most of the time well, but occasionally I wake up early still and can't go back to sleep no matter how few hours it's been. I really love taking naps when they get to happen.

Food aversions: Coffee most of the time {an aversion that didn't start until my 3rd trimester!}, and any dairy products, sugar, or meat this week. I want nothing but fruit these days! :) Preferably watermelon.

Food cravings: Watermelon {ahem}, honeydew, and McAlister's tea!

Labor signs: He hangs out pretty low these days, is head down, and I have Braxton Hicks contractions usually every night. I usually dilate pretty early on {2-3 by 36 weeks}, and I have a feeling that's why. :)

Best moment this week: Feeling the baby's arms and legs moving at the same time. I can feel individual little body parts, and it's so fun. :) I made Rob hold my belly one night and he asked if I was sure I could sleep with that much going on. He's a strong little one!

Non-baby-related favorite moment this week: Hearing my boys quote Isaiah 53:1-12 at their graduation program. Nothing makes me happier than hearing some of the most important words coming out of their little minds. :)

What I miss: Being able to bend over, and not having my uterus on top of my ribs. The midwife was even surprised how high it went! :) I don't know how it's possible, but the baby kicks up in front of my ribs!

What I'm looking forward to: Seeing this little boy for the first time, and getting to hold and nurse him and kiss his soft little head. I'm so excited about that. :) I bought a package of diapers and I'm holding off on opening it until I get closer. Seeing those tiny diapers makes me realize how small he will be. :)

Comparison shots: left to right-19 weeks, 22 weeks, 26 weeks, 31 weeks {I think the brown shirt is at it's end until postpartum time, LOL!}:

That's certainly a lot of growing!! :D And the best is still ahead... ;) I've never done so many consistent shots before- it's been so fun to see how quickly I can grow!

How are all you pregnant mamas doing out there?

How's the weather where you live right now?

It's getting hot here- like 92, and jeans are officially out now! I feel like I'm sweating for two these days...lol!

Favorite week of pregnancy?

28-29 weeks was awesome for me. I wasn't uncomfortable- I could really feel the baby more, but was pregnant enough to enjoy being pregnant, and I was getting close to the end all at the same time. :D I was even feeling optimistic- like I would be happy to do it again someday! ;)

thrifty find: ann taylor loft summer dress {w/pics} + pregnancy body changes

2013-05-30T10:30:00.004-05:00

Pregnancy is such a dressing challenge. For nine months your body shape is constantly changing, and not only that- you have to go through multiple seasons too! I have been a different shape for nearly every pregnancy, which makes all of my old clothes fit differently than they did before {every time!}. Thankfully, my last three have been summer babies, which means all of my preggo clothes have been summer clothes for the last 6 years. :)

But that seems to be where the similarities end for me. :) I gained a lot of weight with my first baby, and with the second pregnancy just 9 months later {different seasons too}, I gained only 1/2 of what I gained with the first one, and I exercised with neither. The third and fourth pregnancies were girls, and with the first one I didn't exercise, and with the second one I exercised so I gained less. This one is a boy, and I exercise and teach fitness classes this time, so again, my shape is different than all of the other times. :) I can still wear my summer preggo clothes but they all fit differently than they did 4 years ago. :) I never know what to expect! :D

So I'm trying to avoid buying any new clothes at this point {who knows if they'll fit again?} but when I saw this Ann Taylor Loft dress at GW {Goodwill} a few weeks ago, I snatched it up! :D

It was in perfect condition- and just $4.99! :D I spotted the cute striped fabric on the rack a mile away. It's a few sizes up from my normal size, so I think I might be able to wear it a little longer, and maybe after the baby is born too! :D

29 weeks with #5

Even if I only wear it a few times, I'll be happy- you really can't beat $5 for a lined Ann Taylor Loft summer dress! :D And who knows, maybe it will fit with any future babies.... ;) It's worth a try, anyway. :)

What finds have you scored at GW recently? :D

Mamas- have you found your body changes shape with each pregnancy too? What about with girls vs. boys?

I tend to gain differently with boys than girls for sure!

Do you tend to wear more dresses in the summer or other seasons?

I wear way more dresses and skirts in the summertime- they are so much cooler than shorts are to me! :)

homemaking hack #6: how to take an inventory of your closet {or pack for a trip}

2013-05-29T11:04:00.001-05:00

Here's my new favorite way to pack for a trip….or reorganize my closet. {or both? hey!}

1. Find the biggest open space you can.

The floor between our closet storage worked for me. A bed or dining table might work too. :)

2. Pull out all of your clothes and shoes.

Every single item if you're purging your closet. If you're going on a trip, just your most-loved items. :)

my vacation outfits this year! :D

3. Match your favorite outfits.

This is the fun part! What goes with what? Balance your looser tops with more fitted bottoms or more fitted tops with looser bottoms. I'm a one pattern girl most of the time, so I like one fun or bright item paired with a basic neutral staple item like jeans. I have no idea why I'm like that, but it seems to happen every time! :)

Have fun without even trying them on- when they're all lying out, you can start to picture what looks good together!

4. Edit and delete items.

Do you already know you hate wearing that shirt- it's too loose, too tight, rides up, etc.? You probably won't like wearing it when that outfit day comes either. :) Delete it.

5. Copy and paste multiple outfits.

Set matching tops next to your potential bottoms. That sounds weird {ha!}, but the idea is to layer multiple tops you like over one pair of pants you would wear them with.

6. Take pictures so you can remember what you have.

This is the fun part- take pictures, preferably with your phone, so that you can search your closet inventory easily in the morning or when you're out shopping for coordinating items. Having your clothes already matched makes such a difference in the time it takes to decide what to wear! :)

How often do you go through your closet? What are your favorite tips for keeping track of what you have to wear?

Usually twice a year at least for me- when the seasons change, I purge the excess. Having a tiny closet helps with that! :)

How many clothes do you normally carry with you on a trip?
I overpacked this time for sure! I wanted to have lots of options, and I did...hahah!

Do you find yourself wearing the same pair of jeans with all your outfits?
Totally. If I love a pair of jeans, I will wear them until they get holes in them! :D

back from vacation {where we went and pics} + the newest member of our family

2013-05-28T09:09:00.001-05:00

We're probably weird,
but we loved being together every minute for so many days.
It's like that at home too though, LOL.

We're back from our 10th anniversary trip!! We went to Kauai for a week, and to say it was gorgeous is probably an understatement. I so wish I could have taken you with me! If you love warm weather, the mountains, and the beach with a breeze, you would love this place! :) It was beautiful.

But even more than that, I can't tell you how good it was to take a real break from everything. I realized right before we left that I was feeling really weary, and really needed to take a Sabbath from all the work, the noise, and all the little jobs I have. It was such a wonderful thing to get away for a week, and just focus on Jesus and my husband. I felt like I could take a deep breath and slow down while I was there, and I came back feeling more energized to start again! :D

It was awesome for my heart, and marriage too I think, and only possible because the Lord blessed us with such awesome parents who all took turns watching our kiddos while we were gone! They were the best! What a gift it was.

This view from our balcony definitely helped set the relaxed tone for the week: ;)

our first sunrise in Kauai

And the long walks helped too:

enjoying a gorgeous trail with my love....we walked this far apart most of the time. {lol...just kidding! ;) }

Thanks to my weird pregnancy body clock, we got to see the sunrise every day! :D

how can people see this and not worship the Lord? I don't understand...He is SO amazing. It was such a precious time!

And then the weirdest thing happened while we were there...I couldn't even form a thought for the whole week regarding what needed to be done when we got back home. I tried to think about it and use the extra time I had to plan several times, and my brain would immediately shut down. Instead, I slept and ate good food {and a lot of it! I think the baby gained a whole pound last week- his kicks are crazy strong this week!!}. I didn't exercise other than hiking, I didn't write anywhere but in my journal, and I didn't make a single to-do list. It was like recovery mode for my body and mind. :D

I have lots of pictures and stories to share with you guys {we took at least 1000 pictures....the crazy tourists that we are}. :D, but I couldn't wait to tell you about this fun little thing who joined our family yesterday:

Her name is Rella, short for Cinderella. :D She's the first pet the kids have had in about 5 years, and they are so excited. She's itty bitty and we've been having lots of fun with her so far. :D We've never had a cat before, so it's even more thrilling for them. It will be neat to seem them bond with this little kitty before the baby comes. :)

I think it was definitely an exciting end to the last week for them staying with the grandparents. :D I'm just so thankful we had a long weekend to readjust before jumping back into life! :)

Today we all go back to school, work, and teaching fitness classes. My oldest daughter Isabella {#3} is also graduating from kindergarten today {sniffle, sniffle}, and Rob's little brother is getting married this weekend, so we have a full week to come back to for sure! :D

Ever since we got back from Hawaii, we have been trying to readjust our bodies again to Texas time. The two flight red-eye we took probably didn't help with the jet lag- but even with that, I have to say I'm still a huge fan of sleeping your way through 8 hours of flying! :) That was the first time we'd done that, and it made the trip home really fly by. {heheh.} I think I'm finally back on Texas time- I woke up at 5 this morning {midnight in HI}!

I missed you guys though! Did anything happen while I was gone?

How was your week?? Did you do anything special for Memorial Day?
We slept really late and worked on pre-baby projects. :D

Mamas, is this week the end of school for your kiddos too?
Summer starts tomorrow for us!

Have you ever taken a red-eye flight? What did you think? Love them or hate them? {It would be awful if you couldn't sleep!}

a blogging break + popular post lists

2013-05-20T12:16:00.002-05:00

eeee!!! we are on vacation without kiddos! :D

Happy Monday!! :D It's a really special Monday for me- we're on vacation! :D Rob and I are taking our 10th anniversary trip and I can't wait to share all the details with you next week!

I wanted to let you know I'm going to be taking a little break from blogging. We will be away this week and I wrote all these posts in advance for you guys, but I decided not to post them because I knew I wouldn't be able to stay away from the internet, Facebook, and Twitter if I did! :) {and checking your phone/laptop all the time on a rare vacation alone with your man? Probably not such a good thing...lol!}

So until next week, here are some popular posts from the archives if you want to explore some older articles! :D

printables:
Free printable chore cards
free 8x10 art- Psalm 34:6
the plan {free daily planning sheets}

Bible/devotionals:
walking through the Gospel- 14 week Bible study going through the basics of Christianity: the importance of the Bible, who God is, who man is, who Jesus is, why we need Him, salvation, and what it means, and more
laundry devotions- several devotions for today's women! Some devos have 10 minute audio too. I loved doing these a couple of years ago!

the most destructive sin in my life

following Jesus as a woman in today's culture

DIY projects:
how to paint a couch
dyeing your jeans

book page flower wreath
tailoring your old clothes to fit better

favorite recipes:
east texas caviar

6 minute black bean soup
easy vegan chili

diet/fitness:
three simple steps to exercising consistently
getting fit- how to find your exercising sweet spot {a 6-part series!}
my top 5 favorite real food snacks

fashion and beauty products on a budget:
what i wore this week series
styling curly hair with drugstore products

encouragement:
when you feel weary and tired
the complaining experiment {4 parts} {totally revolutionized my perspective on motherhood}
on tv and movies: why i watched it all but can't anymore
birth control: my story

saving and making money:
5 out of the box ways to earn extra money
31 days of thrifting!! {31 posts on tips and how to shop at thrift stores!}
how to sell on eBay part 1, and part 2

before and after room reveals:
the living room
the bathroom
the office

the entryway

I hope you have a wonderful week!!

I'll be back next week with the answers to your FAQ's and lots of pictures and details!! :D

4 ways to score free furniture and household goods

2013-05-16T16:52:00.001-05:00

We randomly scored the best deal on this set of end tables this week- they were free!

I can't wait to redo them- I'm not sure what I will do with them yet, but painting them is definitely the plan. :D Corals and emerald greens have been on my mind lately, so I wouldn't be surprised if they ended up one of those with some new knobs. ;)

And hey, free + the cost of spray paint and a knob is even better than the GW price would be, don't you think? Free is the best. :)

Here are 4 ways I like to find free stuff:

1. Facebook.
I joined several local swap/ sale groups where people post a lot like Craiglist, but without the anonymity. This is how I found out about the tables- a lady posted come and get them, and I happened to be close by and was the first one there! :D {One group I joined is called East Texas Baby Items for Sale, the others I follow are also similar local sale groups like the County Garage Sale, East Texas Swap and Shop, etc.} If you don't follow any of these or have never seen them- ask your friends if they know any in a status update on Facebook. While most items are for sale, occasionally you'll see free stuff too.

2. The side of the road/give aways.
So many renters just throw out good stuff because they don't want to move it! I've scored a great daybed with screws attached in a bag, purses, household items, and even a wallet with change still in it! We've also been given a free like-new steam cleaner from someone throwing it away, and other people I know have scored lawn furniture, end tables, lamps, room dividers, and more.

We live in the city, so lots of times, people leave signs out on their stuff that say "free"! They just want you to take it. :D One time I picked up a baby swing in perfect condition by the trash can, put new batteries in it, used it for a while, and then sold it on Craigslist. :)

3. Craigslist.
There's a free category on Craigslist, and this is one of the easiest places to find free stuff. You may have to drive to get it, but I've scored lots of furniture, a swing set, and house stuff on there too. My dad sends me free piano listings every now and then {I would LOVE a free one!}, but they're always gone by the time I email them! :)

4. Freecycle.
I've gotten a vintage camera with lenses, brand new cloth napkins, and so many other things I can't remember a few years ago. :) People post and just want you to come and get their old stuff, and it's awesome. And completely free. You have to be fast and watch it closely to be the one who gets the items though. :) It's been a while since I used this method!

Where are your favorite places to score free stuff?? Any good ideas for me?

What's the best free item you've ever randomly scored?

How do you feel about using what others consider trash? I see a lot of treasure in other's trash! LOL!

how far will you go?

2013-05-15T09:07:00.001-05:00

{I posted this on the facebook page a few weeks ago and wanted to share it with you guys too!}

are you willing to let go of your very life? from pinterest

I'm reading the end of Acts, and I am so amazed by Paul's determination. He knew that he would be put in prison and afflicted, and he still went in obedience to God, only to preach the Gospel to Rome after YEARS of being in prison!

Acts 20:22: And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me.

Seriously, would I react in the same way to the Holy Spirit's message? His friends even tried to convince him that it was dangerous, and he was still determined to obey.

I have a feeling it would be so easy to convince myself that I really didn't need to go- or that being imprisoned wouldn't really help spread the Gospel, or my friends knew the truth, etc.

But that's the danger of disobedience- we know the truth in our hearts but can convince ourselves safer is better, when in reality our opinion of "safe" is not what God has in mind for us at all.

Oh, that we could be more like Paul...when nothing matters but obedience to our Lord Jesus and testifying of his name, even to the point of losing our lives:

24 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

If we follow Him, who knows what He will have in store for us? We might end up preaching the Gospel in places we never imagined being or couldn't get to otherwise...but still "safer" in every respect, because we are doing the will of the Lord. Oh, wouldn't that would be exciting?!!

Where has God taken you that you never expected?

Have you been comforted by the Holy Spirit when you weren't in a "safe" place? {finances, marriage, jobs?}

Yes!! There have been times that I had no idea what to do in important situations. I felt completely lost and blind about what was going to happen in the future, yet the Holy Spirit gave me the faith to trust in God, no matter what would happen. It was like a switch came on, and the fear went away and was replaced by faith, and I know it was only God who did it.

do you have a question for me?

2013-05-14T09:28:00.004-05:00

Do you have any questions for me? I want to try to answer them in a post soon! :D

I get lots and lots of emails every week, and while I try to answer as many as I can, I can't always get to them all, which makes me sad! But if you have had or have a question for me and you wouldn't mind sharing it here publicly on the blog, will you send it to me at mandy @ biblicalhomemaking.com? Or you can leave it in the comments below, and I will try to include it in the upcoming post! :D

example:

Q: do all of your kids go grocery shopping with you?

A: Why yes... it also happens to be my favorite way to wear them right before bedtime. Who needs a park when shopping is so exhausting? Why not kill two birds with one stone?... ;) hahahah. Seriously though, they do 95% of the time. I need all the help and unloading hands I can get, and most of the time they like it. :D

I'm trying to make a list of my most frequently asked questions for the post too, which should be fun. :D {#1 most frequently asked question by far is "how do you style your curly hair?" I have people in real life ask me this nearly every week too! Here's the answer, by the way! :D}

I can't wait to hear from you! :D

email me: mandy @biblicalhomemaking.com {no spaces}

having little children is fun :)

2013-05-13T09:36:00.003-05:00

We started on the unreasonable baby to-do list this weekend- we dug up and planted flower beds!! :D I would show you pictures, but we aren't done quite yet- we still have to put in a two more borders and mulch. {do you have any tricks for keeping weeds from growing under the mulch? Is there a way I wonder?}

You know it's going to be a good Saturday when all of your children decide on their own to wear their number shirts. :D I love that they are still little enough to like doing this sort of thing. :)

We went to get pizza before we got to work:

Then we hit Lowe's and bought Japanese boxwoods, roses, and landscaping border. {can you believe those ginormous rose bushes were only $5??} Give me a rose bush any day over cut roses... you get years of beauty, unless you're like me and can kill them in a few months... :P

We worked until dark in the yard {and went to bed early!} and Sunday morning I woke up to these for Mother's Day...

Rob picked me a rose for each little one we have. :D I love the little bud for the baby! He gave me a sweet "gift certificate" too {more on that later!}.

And the older kids even made me cards and their own gifts for me at school, which I LOVE. How fun are these?? They made them with Sharpie markers and the teachers baked them in the oven. :D {here's a tutorial!!}

It was such a fun day! We went to church, then out for lunch, shopping, and ice cream:

We like going to Braum's, because we can buy 6 little cones for $3 in the frozen section. ;) They all get their own that way!

But I didn't go for the nutty cone yesterday- notice the chocolate M&M mix in the picture with us:

I shared two of those with Rob this weekend, by the way. I can eat about 1/3-1/2 of one, and I'm done. It's so awesome to have a husband who will share with me {and it's not even his favorite kind}. He doesn't mind taking one for the team. ;)

It's a good thing we're launching BODYCOMBAT this afternoon...I need to burn a few extra calories after this weekend. ;) It's going to be a crazy week! :D

We actually have a busy, busy month ahead of us too- lots of classes to teach, a midwife appointments, major grocery shopping, projects to do, end of the school year/kindergarten graduation, a family wedding {yay}, and we are getting ready for a fun 10th anniversary vacation on top of that. :D May is going to FLY by.

Is May a busy month for you too?

Do you like going to weddings? How many weddings are in your summer plans?
I seriously love going to weddings. I try not to miss a single one I get invited to. They are so much fun! {and I really want to throw another one for myself now that Pinterest has been invented...lol}.

Did you have a good weekend/Mother's Day?

28 week update: the pre-baby to-do list {and the unrealistic nesting one too}

2013-05-10T11:08:00.000-05:00

I'm 28 weeks, which means I'm officially into my third trimester these days! In some ways, the 10-12 weeks I have left sound like a loooonggg time to keep growing bigger, but I've lived enough days to know that the end will be here very, very soon! :) I have a feeling it will fly by.

Even the fifth time around, pregnancy is still one of the strangest things to me. I'm visibly with child now, so I get such a wide range of comments in real life these days! :)

Just this week alone, one cashier at a restaurant told me it seemed like I'd been pregnant forever already and should be done by now, then another cashier at a different place told me she couldn't tell I was pregnant at all until I rubbed my belly, and not two days later someone else asked me if I was due any day now.... you just really never know what someone is going to tell you when it comes to your pregnant belly. ;) It's wide open, and everyone has something different to say! You just have to brace for the impact... heheh! ;)

Here's my 28 week iPhone shot... it's definitely looks like I'm smuggling a small watermelon in there- especially first thing in the morning. My belly looks and feels like a very round bowling ball:

He's getting stronger too- bigger kicks and rolls happen much more frequently these days. All of the kids have gotten to feel him kick now. {that is one of the best moments of being a mama, I think. They all get so wide-eyed and squeal with excitement. :D} It won't be long, and they'll all be playing with him and asking to hold him all the time. :D

The closer I get to the end though, the more I realize I have a ton to do before the baby comes.

I have to turn this fabric into a pretty quilt:

After that, reorganize my sewing room to make it into a nursery:

side note: I can't believe we took that picture {on the wall} on our honeymoon over 10.5 years ago now!

What kids we were back then. ;) We were just 19 and 22:

And now I'm 30 and a mommy to 3 boys and 2 girls!! It's a good thing, though. Marriage gets even better with time. :)

So does being a mommy, I think. Isabella {5} made my morning with her sweet note:

Little girls are so much fun!! :D

But back to the baby to-do list- here's what I hope to finish before mid-July:

make quilt/bedding
make 1 wall decor piece for over the bed
paint crib and dresser
wash baby clothes
buy diapers, wipes, and nursing supplies
wash car seat + bouncer covers
hang curtains
order or find a pack n' play travel lite on Craigslist

And here's the insane nesting to-do list for the next 10 weeks that's secretly hiding out in the back of my mind {you have one too don't you??} :)

redo entire yard
build a new fence
mulch and plant flower beds
host birthday party for Avalie
finish painting house
redo/finish girls room -needs 2nd coat of paint, and a bed makeover is waiting to happen in the attic
redo boys room- paint/reorganize
finish the stairs
add light fixture to bathroom
find a new-to-us washing machine to replace our 10 year-old one
finish 180,000 little things that need to be done around the house

Oh goodness. Just looking at that list, I know that it won't all get done. But supposedly, if you make a list of all you have to do, you can mentally let it go and focus on one thing at a time? {Getting Things Done} I think a man wrote that book.... ;)

At least I know what I have to focus on today:

We are launching a new release of BODYCOMBAT on Monday, so I'm knee deep in chorey for the rest of the morning! The to-do lists will have to wait a bit longer. ;)

How do you mentally separate your future to-do lists from what you have to do today? Is there really a way?? ;)

My brain {as they say women's are} is definitely like spaghetti- it's all tied up together in there. So far, pray and let it go is all I've got! :)

Any great easy quilting tutorials you know of??

I'm thinking two big pieces of fabric sewn together and bound in zig-zags- does that sound okay to you quilters out there? I need help! :P

Anyone married in 2002 like us? Did 10 years fly by for you too?

I'm glad we were married young. I loved spending all of my 20's with Rob. It's fun growing up together in adulthood! :D

12 ideas for reusing burlap rice sacks {thrifty thursday}

2013-05-09T09:02:00.001-05:00

Okay, this might be borderline cheapskate Thursday instead of thrifty Thursday...but I had to tell you anyway. I have no shame. ;)

We love this rice from Sam's Club:

It's pretty pricey compared to regular white rice {2x more at least}, but basmati is our favorite. But as much the family loves this rice, I love the bag it comes in more. :) I can't bear to throw them away, so here are a few things I do with them to reuse and repurpose them:

I use them as gift bags. They have a zipper, so no tissue paper is needed! :D I am a last minute wrapper, and these work so well. And don't tell, but for some reason I don't enjoy spending money on big gift bags and tissue paper? I have no idea why I'm so cheap there! I apologize in advance if I ever give you a rice bag to hold your present sometime in the future. Just know I spent the money I saved on your actual gift! :P

Here's Noah opening his birthday present this weekend:

I also use them as swimming bags. It will hold a couple of towels and swimsuits, and I like how breathable the fabric is for damp clothes. It's also small enough to keep in the back of the car every day without overtaking the whole thing. {You never know when you might get the urge to swim. ;)}

And we also like to use our old sacks for portable lego storage containers for car trips and nights away from home. :D

Here are a few other uses I've come up with for my rice sacks. {I haven't done them all yet- we haven't gone through that many pounds of rice yet! hehe}

a library book bag
lego organization {for keeping the kit legos separate from the others}
a throw pillow
glue it to an old canvas for kitchen wall decor
cut and frame parts of it for a fun wall gallery
fill it with a brick and stuffing for a cute door holder/stopper
sew 3-4 together for a kitchen valance/shade
cover a cork board for cute decor
cut into triangles to make a pennant banner for a boys room

And I'm sure there's so much more you could do with it!! I haven't even looked on Pinterest yet! :)

What would you do with a cute rice bag? Any other ideas for me?

What's your favorite kind of rice? Or do you prefer potatoes?
I like wild and brown rice the most I think. :) White basmati is a close second. Oh, and the sushi kind, provided it's rolled up with seaweed, crab, and avocado.... ;)

strawberry cream cheese angel food cake {recipe}

2013-05-08T10:17:00.003-05:00

If I had to choose between eating just the icing or the cake, I would choose icing every day of the week. Icing and I go way back. I learned how to make homemade icing when I was 11 or 12 and after that it was over. There was a reason we never had any powdered sugar left in the house. {sorry, mom} ;)

With this pregnancy I've consistently craved strawberry shortcake for some strange reason. After four pregnancies, I've learned not to question why I have any particular craving and just go with it. :)

The only problem with this craving was that the whipped cream part of the strawberry shortcake wasn't cutting it- I needed real icing. {and by the way, whipped icing on store-bought birthday cakes {!!?!!??} makes me want to cry. Why would they do that to icing?}

So I decided to make my angel food cake like a simple trifle and replaced the whipped cream with cream cheese icing. :D It ended up being perfection. :)

Here's what I did:

I bought an angel food cake at Sam's Club {that was hard, wasn't it?}. They have the best angel food I've had in a long time. I've made it homemade before and didn't like the texture as much as theirs for $5:

I cut it into slices for portioned servings, but I've also torn it into chunks. I prefer the small bite/chunk version because it has a greater ratio of cake to icing, but if you like less icing, this way might be for you. If you have a trifle dish, you could layer the chunks into the bowl and it would be even lovelier, but a 9x13 is perfect for easy serving and keeps it simple to make.

Make your cream cheese icing. I don't follow an actual recipe these days, but here's a highly rated one if you don't have one already. I like mine extra fattening, so I generally use 8 ounces of cream cheese, 1.5 sticks of real butter, and about 4 cups of powdered sugar mixed with a splash of milk and vanilla for my go-to recipe. It should be thick like you see here- if it's runny, add more sugar:

{p.s. using margarine and off-brand or low-fat cream cheese greatly affects the taste and thickness of your icing. If you can, go for real butter and Philadelphia full-fat cream cheese. It's worth it.}

Spread it over your cake slices:

Slice your 1-1.5 lbs. of strawberries straight on to your cake, if you want:

You could spend a few hours making it look pretty by arranging your slices, but I know my family doesn't care what it looks like as long as it tastes good. ;)

Refrigerate your cake for a few hours if you can for better flavor, but it will taste good freshly made too. :) Enjoy it either way. :D {and hope there's enough for seconds!}

It's my new favorite cake {for now, anyway}. :) And the fact that the angel food cake and strawberries are non-fat makes me incredibly happy. I think the light cake and fruit really balances the rich cream cheese icing. That and lighter cake means I can enjoy indulging in the cream cheese icing even more. Ha! :)

Are you more of an icing or a cake person? Or do you eat both equally well? :)
As you might have guessed, I view the cake as merely a vehicle for icing.

Whipped or buttercream icing? And please tell me why you like the whipped version. Maybe there's something I'm missing there? ;)

Do you serve untraditional desserts for birthdays too?
Last year Noah and Rob both asked for cinnamon rolls! :) Here is Noah on his 7th birthday:

who is your Jesus??

2013-05-07T06:50:00.000-05:00

Oh my goodness, I've never cried so much before 7 in the morning.

This video is such an amazing way of presenting the Gospel.

It's about our Jesus and is worth every minute of watching....

{ht: tim challies blog, sermon/voice by John Piper}

noah's 8th birthday weekend {recap w/pics}

2013-05-06T10:45:00.000-05:00

We had a fun weekend celebrating Noah's birthday! He turned 8 on Saturday. I can't believe he's that old already- it seems like I was pregnant with him just yesterday. He's so much fun and so sweet. He's tender-hearted and hilarious and witty all at the same time.

To give you an idea of his personality, one day a couple of weeks ago I gave him a stem of grapes, and he instantly ran to the office and brought this back and ate his grapes holding the book like this just to get me to laugh:

I think we must have the same sense of humor because I died laughing. :)

We started the day with chocolate chip pancakes and his sister was thrilled to decorate his chair for him:

I wish I'd gotten a picture of his reaction to his chair. He couldn't stop laughing . :)

He loves animals, legos, mud, and art. We wanted to do something special for him this year, so we took all the kids to the Fort Worth Zoo for the first time. I'd never been before that I could remember!

You'd think they'd all be a little more excited to be at the zoo.... ;) they were all in zombie mode after hours of driving. :)

They woke up pretty fast after we spotted a 15-foot crocodile:

And this ridiculously large komodo dragon... I love the looks on their faces- especially Ava in the corner:

I was really impressed by the zoo- it was gorgeous and they had so many activities for the kids to do:

Like this mystery swamp box- the kids were supposed to stick their hands in a dark box to feel the swamp, and not one of them would do it. They tried to see what was inside first:

And then Noah ever so sweetly tried to force Ava to feel inside first..."you want to try it Ava? Here, let me help you..." ;)

And of course, the animals were fun to see too. They had lions, tigers, and bears... all in one place!

And an aquatic petting zoo:

For the record, I refused to touch any of those slimy sea creatures. I'll just take pictures, thank you very much. :)

I'll spare you the picture Rob got of hundreds of 2-inch Haitian cockroaches {which totally creeped me out}. Elijah touched my arm after we looked at them and I seriously almost screamed out loud in crowd full of people.

Instead, feast your eyes on this sweet baby:

Blue coconut shaved ice. I think I may have a new craving. I've almost convinced Rob to buy me the snow cone machine they're selling at Sam's for $150. I told him I'd set up a snow cone stand in our yard to make up for it... {but then I'd have to work it 9 months pregnant when its 111 outside... probably not such a great idea after all}.

We finished Noah's b-day at a favorite Mexican restaurant, where we all ordered American food because it was 40% less than the Mexican fare and just as good? Why is that? We had chicken fingers, french fries, chicken fried steak, and grilled chicken and veggies. With chips and salsa. ;)

We waited to have cake with the family on Sunday {I hope to share the "recipe" soon!} since we had a very long day.

I'm telling you, Noah was given a special gift of making his mama laugh. "Noah, here, look at the camera..."

{posted with his permission... crazy boy. ;)}

And here's the other sweet side when we were singing to him:

Love that boy. :) I'm sad that he's older now, but so far, the older they get, the more fun they are, I think. And that makes me a little excited for them to grow up too. :)

What do you think? Do they get more fun as they get older?

Have you been to the Fort Worth Zoo? Your favorite zoo? Is the San Diego one really great?

What do you order when you eat Mexican food?

I usually eat a salad of some kind, but my pregnant body is still rejecting any leafy greens as a food option. Which makes me incredibly sad. Who am I anymore??? I don't know.}

how to enjoy the messes, the hard days, and all the seasons of motherhood

2013-05-03T10:47:00.000-05:00

Noah, my second son turns 8 tomorrow. It's so weird how fast it happens- the days when they are 2 seem to drag on forever, but once they hit 4 or 5 you start to wonder where a whole year went. How do the days seem so long and the years so short?

it seems like yesterday they were this big... noah and elijah with their daddy in 2008

My children's birthdays always make me feel a little bit sad. I'm excited for them to grow up- I love seeing them learn and get bigger {and more independent!}, but at the same time it's bittersweet because I know it won't be too long before they will be leaving to start their own lives.

Each season is so much shorter than I even realize.

I just don't want to mess up this season of motherhood, you know? I want to give it my very best, and yet I fail at being a good mama and wife all the time. I know this is human, this is what it is to live in flesh, yet my heart still desires to be better- to love them more, to be a sweeter mama, to be less busy and more aware of their needs before they even ask. Before it's too late and they're all grown.

I want to be a good wife while I'm still young. When I turn 67, I want to look back and say I didn't do too badly when I was 30. :)

It's so much easier to put things in perspective when you think of the big picture of years...but I think my main problem is that I'm a little short-sighted during the days.

I forget that every little choice I make each day will add up to the decisions I made for the years.

Will my children remember a mama who really harped on them for every mess they made and how they should do better? Or will they remember a mama that knew how to keep a house clean and taught them well how to do the same?

The difference of those two is in how I teach them with my words and actions. There's nothing wrong with a mama keeping her house clean and teaching them, but how their mama reacts to them makes all the difference in the world.

But how do I love this life? How do I enjoy the messes and the interruptions instead of wanting them to be over? How do I react to them with kindness and love? I want these to be the good days, the good months, the great years. They might be my only ones, after all. I don't want to see each day as another one I have to get through.

I want God to remind me of how fleeting this life is so that I will see the big picture more often. I love what is written in the Psalms- it's what my heart is crying for right now:

So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.
Psalm 90:12

“O LORD, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!
Psalm 39:4

I need the Lord's help on every level, I really do. I make a lot of mistakes. I sin constantly, and without Him I will never get this. I don't know how to do it without Him- my heart needs Him to give me wisdom. How do I interact with these people I live with so that our lives are joyful and sweet instead of stressed and irritated? I'm full of flesh and they are too. I'm tired at the end of the day, and they are too. We are sinners, all of us.

It only makes sense to ask God for help... is there any way to get it right other than to go to the Creator of marriage and motherhood Himself?

This is what He taught us through His word- here's one way we can love this life and see good days on this earth as believers in Christ. It in our actions and words- we are called to bless:

1 Peter 3:8Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 9Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. 10For

“Whoever desires to love life
and see good days,
let him keep his tongue from evil
and his lips from speaking deceit;
11 let him turn away from evil and do good;
let him seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and his ears are open to their prayer.
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

For some reason it is so easy to only think of those verses in terms of dealing with outsiders, but I want to have sympathy, a tender heart, a humble mind, and brotherly love when it comes to my family too. Why is that always so much harder??

We won't be less accountable to do those things with our family- instead I think we might be more accountable because we've been given the chance to do what is right over and over again.

But how does it work when it comes to my husband or children?

I want to have a humble mind when it comes to disagreeing with my husband. Most of our arguments come from when I pridefully insist my way or what I know is right. Even if it is, am I being humble by firing back strong words of how wrong he is? I mess up here all.the.time.

And how many times do I miss ministering to the hearts of my children because my own heart is not tender- it's hard toward their misbehavior, and I want them to change right now. How often would a tender heart help me teach them how to do things the right way? Or how they are to react when mistreated?

My heart needs help- I can't react with humbleness, or with a tender heart, or in peace, unless God gives me His Spirit to do it with. My nature tells me that much- oh, how instantly I can react wrongly without even a second thought! Words roll off my tongue faster than should be possible.

But my God knows this about me - and He has promised to give me a new heart that is like His:

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26

He already knew before I was ever born that I would need heart surgery, and He provided a way for me- and all of us- to have His Spirit through the sacrifice of His Son. Isn't that amazing? He already knew I would fail Him- that I would need His heart!

I don't have to do this daily life on my own. I don't have to be discouraged every day because I fail so stinking constantly. My God has won this battle, and His promises do not fail. EVER.

Remember verse 12 above? The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous {who are only made so because of Him}, and His ears are open to their prayer.

He won't leave us stranded. When we cry out to Him for help, he HEARS us!! He is constantly watching us, and listening for those who are His. Isn't that incredible?

We are called to bless instead of curse- to be humble, to be tenderhearted, to be in unity with everyone, including our family, and we can do it because of what Christ did for us first. He was cursed and didn't return the curses, insulted and beaten without cause for our sake, and even defeated death so that we could stand with His power, and in His presence.

Our Jesus took it all on Himself, so that we could become His righteous, chosen people.

I don't understand it. I don't know why He loves us so much. But we are His treasure, His chosen ones, and we are called to live like it! We are called to be a light and react with humbleness because He did. And we can do it because He did it for us!!

We are not alone- He knows our weaknesses. He knows how shoes left out everywhere {!} grate my nerves on a daily basis, but He wants me to cry out to Him and seek peace with my family. He wants me to be humble enough to reach down and pick up the shoes 50,000 times so that I have to draw from His strength and not my own. He is pruning my old heart each time to look more like His new one, because He loves me and he wants me to bear His fruit.

Those are my spiritual sacrifices to Him- giving up my will for His. To serve instead of being served. To bless when I feel like cursing. He wants my heart to live for Him, and to love others more than myself.

It sounds impossible, but I know my God can do it. He has asked me to do it, and He has given me the power to do it through Him. He has promised me He will not leave me or forsake me, and that He will give me the strength I need.

Oh, I want to number my days. I want to live in wisdom. I want to know that if I were going to meet Jesus tomorrow morning, I would be happy with the way I lived in Him today. I want to know that if this was my last week- last year- on this earth, that my family would remember a girl who loved Jesus more than anything, and a girl who loved and gave up herself for them on a daily basis.

I want those thousands of little daily choices to add up to one obvious decision- that girl lived for Jesus alone and not for herself.

Please let it be so, Jesus. Holy Spirit, please teach me to number my days so that I can have wisdom today. Remind me of how fleeting this season is. Of how fleeting I am.

Oh Jesus, please let my life be for you and not myself. Forgive my hard heart, make me new, give me a clean and pure heart through your Son so that I can stand before you blameless and whole. I know you have already done the work- please change my heart to be more and more like yours, and make every day I have with these children and this husband count, Lord Jesus. Please don't let me get in the way with my sinful desires. Please overcome my flesh and give me a new spirit that is humble and full of peace.